1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to multi-channel high speed communications systems, methods, and devices useful in analyzing network traffic. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods for coordinating the operation of various chassis, blades, ports, and analyzers in a multi-chassis network analyzer system.
2. The Relevant Technology
Computer and data communications networks continue to develop and expand due to declining costs, improved performance of computer and networking equipment, and increasing demand for communication bandwidth. Communications networks, including for example, wide area networks (“WANs”), local area networks (“LANs”), and storage area networks (“SANs”) allow increased productivity and utilization of distributed computers or stations through the sharing of resources, the transfer of voice and data, and the processing of voice, data, and related information at the most efficient locations. Moreover, as organizations have recognized the economic benefits of using communications networks, network applications such as electronic mail, voice and data transfer, host access, and shared and distributed databases are increasingly used as a means to increase user productivity. This increased demand, together with the growing number of distributed computing resources, has resulted in a rapid expansion of the number of installed networks.
As the demand for networks has grown, network technology has grown to include many different physical configurations. Examples include Gigabit Ethernet, Fiber Distributed Data Interface (“FDDI”), Fibre Channel, and InfiniBand networks. These and the many other types of networks that have been developed typically utilize different cabling systems, different bandwidths and typically transmit data at different speeds. In addition, each of the different network types have different sets of standards, referred to as protocols, which set forth the rules for accessing the network and for communicating among the resources on the network.
Typically, transmissions between network connected devices are passed through a hierarchy of protocol layers at each of the connected devices. For example, each layer in a first network connected device essentially carries on a conversation with a corresponding layer in a second network connected device in accordance with an established protocol that defines the rules of communication between the layers.
As communication networks have increased in number, size and complexity however, they have become more likely to develop a variety of problems that are increasingly difficult to diagnose and resolve. Moreover, the demands for network operational reliability and increased network capacity, for example, emphasize the need for adequate diagnostic and remedial systems, methods and devices.
Exemplary causes of network performance problems include the transmission of unnecessarily small frames of information, inefficient or incorrect routing of information, and improper network configuration and superfluous network traffic, to name just a few. Such problems are aggravated by the fact that many networks are continually changing and evolving due to growth, reconfiguration and introduction of new network typologies and protocols, as well as the use of new interconnection devices and software applications.
Consequently, as high speed data communications mature, many designs increasingly focus on reliability and performance issues. In particular, communications systems have been designed to respond to a variety of network errors and problems, thereby minimizing the occurrence of network failures and downtimes. In addition, equipment, systems and methods have been developed that allow for the testing and monitoring of the ability of a communications system to respond to and deal with specific types of error conditions on a network. In general, such equipment, systems, and methods provide the ability to selectively alter channel data, including the introduction of errors into channel data paths.
Generally, one device that is used to detect these errors is a network analyzer, also called a protocol analyzer. A protocol analyzer runs in the background of a network, capturing, examining and logging packet traffic. Protocol analyzers can, for example, be configured to watch for unusual IP addresses, time stamps and data packets, and most have a user interface for enabling the network administrator to have access to information representing the analysis performed by the protocol analyzers. Protocol analyzers are thus a fundamental and highly useful tool for testing and debugging various types of communications networks, including computing and computer storage networks. A protocol analyzer operates by capturing selected portions of data from a data stream that is transmitted via the communications network. The captured information may then be analyzed by the protocol analyzer to extract desired information. For instance, data transmission faults or errors, or performance errors, known generally as problem conditions, may be diagnosed by examining the captured data that is related to the problem. Hacking can also be detected through a protocol analyzer.
Protocol analyzers have ports that provide connectivity to a network and permit the protocol analyzers to receive and capture network data. A typical conventional protocol analyzer includes a set of ports, usually two per channel or data link that is being analyzed. The ports are exposed through a chassis and are ordinarily positioned on a blade, or card, that has hardware and software for capturing network data and performing the analysis. As networks have become more complex and sophisticated, protocol analyzers with increasing numbers of ports have been developed, enabling the protocol analyzers to be configured for use with different data links or channels. Increasing numbers of ports also increases the complexity of the protocol analyzers and presents the problem of coordinating among ports to capture network data in a way that enables the time sequence of the data transmitted in multiple channels or data links to be accurately represented. Moreover, there are practical commercial and technical considerations that limit the number of ports that are desirable for inclusion in a single protocol analyzer chassis.